Bicycle fork fixture



Nov. 21, 1950 'r. AVENIA BICYCLE FORK FIXTURE Filed Jan. 10, 1947 INVENTOR fiwmapA V612 za.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,530,500 BICYCLE FORK FIXTURE Thomas Avenia, New York, N. Y.

Application January 10, 1947, Serial No. 721,290

4 Claims.

This invention is an improvement in fixtures, and more particularly a fixture for testing a structural member in order to ascertain if all parts thereof are in true position.

The improvement is especially adapted for use in the manufacture and repair of bicycles; and an important object thereof is to provide a fixture by which any distortion of the support for attaching the front wheels of the bicycle to the main frame can be easily detected; so that the necessary correction can be made before the support and the frame are finally assembled.

Another object is to provide a fixture of the type mentioned without moving parts, of simple and inexpensive construction, quite reliable in practice, and easily adjusted to the size of the part which must be examined.

Other objects and advantages are made clear in the following description and the novel features are pointed out in the appended claims. But this disclosure is explanatory only and I reserve the right to make changes in details without departing from the principle of the improvement or omitting any of the characteristics in which the invention resides.

On the drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of the invention,

Figure 1 is a front view of the improved fixture;

Figure 2 is a side view; and

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side view showing part of the fixture with a relatively small fork in position to be tested thereon.

The fixture comprises a body or rear panel I, in the form of an elongated plate, preferably of metal, adapted to be secured to a wall or other support; generally in vertical or inclined position. Adjacent one end is a projecting shelf or rest 2, perpendicular to the front face of the panel I and to the length thereof. At the opposite end, that is to be uppermost, is a transverse bolster 3, consisting of a piece of tubing,

also perpendicular to the length of the panel.

The two arms of the fork or front wheel support and steering column of the bicycle are indicated by dot-and-dash lines at 9, and the shank or shaft thereof at I0. When this member is tested, it can be laid on the fixture with the concave or front edges of the arms turned towards the base I, and the junction of the arms 9 and stem ID in contact with the bolster 3 or upon two bolsters 4. If both recessed lower ends II of the arms 9 are then in contact with the surface of the panel I, the fork is passable; but if they are not, the arms 9 need bending, or the support comprising the arms 9 and stem l0 requires some other attention. See Figure 4. This method is used at the start with relatively small forks. 1

The fixture also comprises a testing or gauging element I2 in the form of a transverse metal strip hinged to a bar I3 affixed to the panel I by fastening devices I4 and parallel to the shelf 2 and bolster 3. The strip I2 is shown as between the bar I3 and shelf 2. When the member comprising the arms 9 and shank I0 is laid against the fixture according to the position indicated in Figure 2, further close scrutiny is facilitated. The shank I0 is now in the recess 8 and on the bolsters 4, parallel with the latter, and overlapping them, so that the junction of the arms and the shank is between the bolsters 4 and the fixed crossbar l3. The strip I2 is then turned to make contact with the edges of the arms I0; and if the recessed ends II of the arms are then at equal distances from the face of the panel I, the member requires no more attention. If the arms II] are skewed somewhat, the fact will be apparent.

By means of the shelf 2, the examination can be performed to better advantage, because, with the fixture in vertical or slanting position, the member can stand with the lower ends II of the arms 9 on the shelf when the shank I0 rests in the recess 8. The ends II of the member, when the metal strip is lifted to touch both arms 9, will then engage the shelf at equal distances from the panel I and equal distances from the side edges of the shelf 2 if the member has been accurately finished. In the top of the shelf are two grooves I5, running from front to back, and the points II will be either in these grooves or separated by equal distances from them, if the member has a true shape.

A second shelf I6 is attached to the base I at the end near the shelf 2, by means of a piece of tubing l1 and screws 1. One pair of screws secures the tubing to the base, another pair at right angles secures together the tube and the shelf. By taking oil the shelf 2, the fixture is adjusted for larger sizes of front wheel supports for bicycles, and it can also be adjusted for smaller sizes by attaching the shelf 2 to studs IS on the panel I farther from the shelf I8. By means of holes 19, the fixture can be made fast to a wall or the like in the place where it is utilized.

From the foregoing the nature of my in'ven tion canbe readily understood, and it can be seen that the fixture will answer most fully all the purposes for which it is designed.

The invention can be utilized for forks of various sizes, each comprising a shank l0 and arms 9; and such forks, especially forks of small size, can be tested in the manner shown on Figure 4. When so handled the hinged gauging element 12 is not used but lays flat against the base panel I. If the fork, after testing,-as indicated in Figure 4, seems all right but has some further small defeet which is not readily 'asc'ertainable, such de- :fect would become apparent when the fork is laid upon the fixture in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. -As already stated, the shank will now lie in the recess s and snake contact with both of the tubular bolsters *4, While the forked lower ends 0f the arms -9 Will lie in conta'o't with the shelf 2 close to the "grooves 15 therein. slight detect will new be perceptible and correctio'n can be made accordingly. By means of the adjustable shelf 2 and the studs -5 and t8 the lengths of the fixture can 'be altered -siii't "the size of the parts that are being tested; and when the shelf! 'istaken away altogether andend shelf i6 i employed, the longest members can be tested and inspected until they havebeen put in the right condition for use.

Having described my invention, what I believe to be how is:

1. 3 testing "fixture comprising a base paneLa cylinder transverse bolster adjacent "one end, and a pair of cylindrical longitudinally extending bolsters extending from the transverse b01- ster towards the opposite end of the panel, the longitudinal bolsters being disposed close to each other at each side of the longitudinal center line of the panel, said transverse bolster having a central recess in line with the space between said longitudinal bolsters.

2. A testing fixture comprising a base panel, a shelf at one end projecting from the face of the panel, a second shelf adiiaicen't theffirstrernovably secured to the panel, a cylindrical transverse bolster at the opposite end of the panel, a cylindrioal longitudinal bolster at each side of the longitudinal center line of the panel extending from the transverse bolster toward the shelves,

said longitudinal bolsters being close to each other and-a transverse strip hinged to said base panel between the shelves and the bolsters.

3. The testing fixture according to claim 2 wherein said bolsters are made of sections of tubing, and the "transverse bolster has a *central reces's in the top, and the base ip'an'e'l carries studs to enter holes in the edge of the second shelf to permit adjustment of the position of said shelt.

4. E lie testing device according to claim 2, wherein the nrst named shelf 'iastenefl to the base panel by a piece of tubing attached to the shelf by screws and to the ad jacerit race of the base panel by additional screws at right-angles to the first-named screws.

REFERENCES CITED The for'low'mg references are or record in the file of this patent:

UNITED S'I A'ZEES PATENTS Number Name Date 591 Johnston "Oct. 5, T897 1,417,703 'Wafiensclinii'dt may 30, T9222 15 355695 Webster 1sec. it, 1925 2,353,813 "'D'e'eren Uuly H3, 1944 

